By taking in oxygen from the air and expelling carbon dioxide, the lungs play a crucial role in maintaining life. The oxygen gathered by the lungs enters the blood as it circulates and is distributed to cells throughout...
Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing. The coughing can make it hard to breathe. A deep "whooping" sound is often heard when the patient t...
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the main air passages to the lungs. Bronchitis may be short-lived (acute) or chronic, meaning that it lasts a long time and often recurs.
Hyperventilation is rapid or deep breathing, usually caused by anxiety or panic. This overbreathing, as it is sometimes called, may actually leave you feeling breathless. When you breathe, you inha...
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Many different organisms can cause it, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Pneumonia can range from mild to severe, and can even be deadly. The severity ...
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening lung condition that prevents enough oxygen from getting into the blood. See also: Infant respiratory distress syndrome
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious form of pneumonia, caused by a virus isolated in 2003. Infection with the SARS virus results in acute respiratory distress (severe breathing di...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Most people with COPD have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract. It is the most common type of chronic lung disease in children and young adults...
Respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all of the carbon dioxide the body produces. This disrupts the body's acid-base balance. Body fluids become too acidic.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that can be caused by nearly any class of organism known to cause human infections . These include bacteria, amoebae, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Byssinosis is a disease of the lungs caused by breathing in cotton dust or dusts from other vegetable fibers such as flax, hemp, or sisal while at work. See also: Occupational asthma
Caplan syndrome is swelling (inflammation) and scarring of the lungs in people with rheumatoid arthritis who have been exposed to mining dust, such as coal, silica, or asbestos.
Croup is breathing difficulty accompanied by a "barking" cough. Croup, which is swelling around the vocal cords, is common in infants and children and can have a variety of causes.
Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare disease in which a type of protein builds up in the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs, making breathing difficult.
Pulmonary fibrosis is scarring in the lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis develops when the alveoli, tiny air sacs that transfer oxygen to the blood, become damaged and inflamed.
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the main airways to the lungs (the bronchi) that usually lasts for a brief period of time. It is not the same as chronic bronchitis, which often persists for ...
The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms. Over 200 viruses can cause a cold.
Atelectasis is the collapse of part or all of a lung. It is caused by a blockage of the air passages (bronchus or bronchioles) or by pressure on the lung. See also: Pneumothorax
Bronchiectasis is destruction and widening of the large airways. A person may be born with it (congenital bronchiectasis) or may develop it later in life.
Atypical pneumonia refers to pneumonia caused by certain bacteria - namely, Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. While atypical pneumonias are commonly assoc...
Acute mountain sickness is an illness that can affect mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, or travelers who climb too fast. It usually occurs when people rapidly reach a high altitude (typically abov...